


Songs of Diana

by TheLionsTale



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: APH America - Freeform, APH England - Freeform, F/F, Fanfic, Hetalia, M/M, Multi, aph, aph germany - Freeform, aph prussia - Freeform, aph romano - Freeform, aph spain - Freeform, spamano - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-03
Updated: 2017-01-03
Packaged: 2018-09-14 11:31:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9179719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLionsTale/pseuds/TheLionsTale
Summary: Runaway, Lovino Vargas lives three years of his life in Manhattan in search of the happiness that his late mother used to write about in her journals. But soon, Lovino is forced to begin a new search when he receives the news that his younger brother, Feliciano, has run away as well. Suspicious that his brother might have gone to look for him, Lovino keeps his eyes pealed, asking anyone and everyone for information concerning the young boy. In this process he meets Antonio Carriedo, a Spanish street performer, who Lovino is sure has information about his brother’s whereabouts.





	

_Good days and Good years_

_Where can I find this?_

_God used to wipe my tears_

_I used to seek bliss_

_But know when I look around_

_It’s clear that what I’ve found_

_Is far from the touch of ground_

_It’s far from where I’m bound_

_Good days and good years_

_It’s clear that I’ve found this_

_The year that I ran away_

_To search from my stolen kiss_

 

__\- Diana Cremaschi_ _

__July 15, 1963_ _

 

 

The life and death of Lovino Vargas was in every sense arbitrary. He set his mind on the things he believed would lead him to success. Or at least lead him the hell away from his grandfather. He believed that in his journey he’d find the things his mother talked so much about in her journals. He’d find find that silver lining that she relied so much on and the means of contentedness that she craved.

However the truth was undeniable. Lovino lived a life so far away from contentedness that one could only wonder how the hell he could ever have hope to see it being any different. He lived the unfortunate life that most people could only pity and look away from. He was an nineteen year old in Manhattan with no mother, no father, and no idea where his life was taking him.

He worked at a shabby old cafe about a block away from where he was staying. It was run by a forty-something year old cellist named Jarrett who shook his head and scratched the bridge of his nose a lot. He often tried to act tough to intimidate the workers but anyone could tell the guy was a nervous wreck. Anytime the cafe was unusually full he would stand near the window by the register with a stern look, scratching the bridge of his nose occasionally. Lovino wasn’t sure what his problem was. Nora not to mind him. That he's always been like that 

Nora is Lovino’s landlord. Half a year ago, she rented him the room above hers. Of course he had to work tough hours to consistently pay the rent, but anything beat living in the streets like he used to. He promised himself he would never again allow himself to be in that position. Anyways, Nora was the closest thing that Lovino had to a friend at that time in his life. She used to live with her five kids, but since Lovino had moved in, the two twins had gone off to college in Boston. Now it was just Nora and her three youngest kids. Dillon an eleven-year-old, Riley a thirteen-year-old, and Jonah a fourteen-year-old. Now, you’d think the two teenagers were the troublemakers but that’s far off. Those two were as kind as kids could get. It was Dillon who caused problems. He had run away twice before Lovino met them and once since he’d moved in. He cussed and fought and had once tried to set off fireworks inside the house.

Lovino felt sympathetic towards Nora. She was young for someone with five children and she only worked one job to not only support them but be a part of their lives. She was giving them all she had and Lovino could only watch as she tried her best to control her overwhelming life. But Lovino was sure she would be able to handle it. Nora could handle anything. She was like beacon of hope for this mess of a world. She was the one who helped him get his job in the first place.

It was before she rented him his room. She had seen Lovino hanging around old Jarrett’s cafe a few times and she told him she could tell he needed the job. Lovino had confessed to her that he had no place of residence to put on the job application.

“Well tell him you live with me,” She said. Lovino remembered her smile being the kindest thing he’d seen since he left home. “I’ll give you my address... get in there kid.”  
Lovino could safely say that Nora was one of the most tolerable and kind person that he had ever met. Jarrett was a nightmare on the other hand. He wasn’t awful or rude or anything- he really wasn’t capable of that. The thing about Jarrett was that he was kind of a pushover. The only thing that made him even slightly tolerable is that he gave the tiniest effort to come off as intimidating. Other than that, other employees often skipped work, slacked off, or talked back to him. Lovino couldn’t do any of those things even if he wanted to - which he didn’t. Without his job, he could just see his life falling apart before him.

A week from now was Labor Day and for some ridiculous reason unbeknownst to him, that day was a big day for the cafe. The place was known for having some of the greatest Labor Day sales. If Lovino didn’t know any better, he’d say that Jarrett was practically giving his shit away. But Jarrett was a smart guy and a remarkable businessman, he knew exactly what he was doing. His sales were a success.

“Listen Vargas, I want the decorations hung up before closing hour today alright? Vargas are you listening? Vargas?”

Lovino shoved his shoe laces in the sides of the shoe instead of tying them and quickly stood up to face his boss. “I think I need some new boots,” he stated looking back down at his feet. He frowned at muddied and torn toe box.

Jarrett looked down at his boots as well. “You want me to tell you they look shitty so you have an excuse to get offended right...They look... alright. A little worn out bu-” Jarrett shook his head. “God, what do I care. See, I’m letting you distract me. The decorations Vargas. The decorations.”

Lovino nodded. “Understood..” He followed Jarrett towards the register and leaned against the counter. “Hey where’s that asshole new kid uh.. Lukas. He hasn’t been here in a week and I asked him to cover for me next thursday.”

“Hm… I think he quit,” Jarrett said. “Something about needing a higher paying job. Said there was an addition to the family.”

“That’s odd,” Lovino began. “I think he mentioned he lives alone.”

Jarrett looked a tad bit surprised but shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe he got himself a bird.:

Lovino hesitated. “He was an asshole anyways. Good riddance.”

Lovino felt someone nudge his shoulder and turned to face them, almost afraid it was a costumer. Thankfully it wasn’t. It was yet another co-worker he despised. Mathias.

“Excuse me, but I don’t think you should be swearing that much,” he commented. “There are a lot of younger customers around.”

Lovino glared at him. “Fuck off.”

Mathias didn’t look phased. He just smiled at him. And it wasn’t his usual cheerful smile. This one held a hint of annoyance that was rare for Mathias’ usual carefree self.

Lovino continued to glare at him. “Is there a problem?”

“Actually there is,” Mathias responded.

“And what’s that?” Lovino questioned. He wasn’t sure what had gotten into Mathias, but he assumed that pushing him a little would give him that answer.

“Okay boys,” Jarrett cut in, catching on to the thick atmosphere around them. “Let it go and get to work... please. Lovino, the decorations….”

“Right.” Lovino pushed away from the counter cautiously and headed to the backroom where they kept all their streamers and banners. He sighed heavily, still confused by what just happened. He then bent down in front of the table by the fridge and pulled up a large box labeled “L-D”. Lovino flipped the top open and reached in to pull out a banner. He must have pulled too fast because as he was getting it out the banner cut in half right where it said “Labor”. Lovino cringed and put the ripped banner to the side. He reached back into the box to pull out the streamers and sighed upon seeing their condition. They were all worn out and flattened after spending almost an entire year stuffed in a box.

“Jarrett!” He called setting the streamers and ripped banner back inside the box. “Jarrett!”

“It’s the one labeled L-D!” He called back.

Lovino rolled his eyes and headed back towards the register. “Your crap is old Jarrett. You need newer stuff or else your customers won’t care.”

Jarret frowned. “What do you mean? I’ve been using those decorations for the past ten years there’s nothing wrong with them.”

“Exactly,” Lovino replied. “Ten years is way too long for a bunch of streamers.”

Jarrett sighed in defeat and scratched the bridge of his nose. “You know what fine… I’ll give you some money. Why don’t you and Emma head down to the store and grab some stuff.”

Lovino nodded glancing momentarily at Mathias who seemed deep in thought as he cleaned up a far away table. “Yeah that’ll work just let me head back and grab my jacket.”

 

* * *

 

People either hate Emma or they get along with her. There’s no other way to explain it. Emma was a short bubbly girl with short golden blonde hair and a snarky attitude. She wasn’t Lovino snarky but she was snarky all the less. Lovino met her on his second day of work. He had been sitting down during break preparing to eat the lunch he had packed for himself when he had noticed her crying at the end of the table. When he had asked her if she was okay she quickly snapped her head up to glare at him, told him to fuck himself, and went back to crying. Since then their relationship was … interesting. Their subtle similarities were what brought them together and is what’s been keeping their friendship going for so long.

“So I tell the guy ‘listen I don’t date men over 5’11’ and you know what he does?”

Lovino smirked. “What?”

“He bends down and he takes off his heels.”

“You’re lying...”

“I swear to god,” Emma replied. “He was wearing these boots and the soles were like 4 inches long. I was impressed.”

“Did you get with him?” Lovino asked. He pulled out a record and held it in front of him, examining the cover.

“No way he was such a stingy prick.. and I don’t date men from New York.”

Lovino smirked at his friend again. “You’re gonna have to get over that. Living here and all.”

“That’s why I ask them where they’re from,” she defended. “It’s not a stereotype that the guys here are assholes. It’s a fact”

“It’s a fact..” Lovino paused and pushed the record back where he pulled it from. “But you’re just gonna have to deal with it.”

“We should probably start heading back to the café,” Emma pointed out, looking down at her yellow wrist watch. “Jarret’s probably having a stroke.”

Lovino snorted. “Serves him right. Shoulda bought new decorations.”

And for a split second, as Emma was speaking, Lovino swore he could have seen someone familiar in the reflection of the mirror at the front counter. He turned around but they were nowhere in sight.

Lovino focused his attention back on Emma and assuming she had asked him a question he responded with an uncertain “yes”.

She scrunched up her nose. “What?”

“Huh?”

“I asked you where you think Katrina  might be from.”

“Oh.” Lovino paused, thinking of their new timid co-worker. “Ummm.. I’m not really sure. I’ve never asked.”  
“You gonna buy anything from this place?”

Lovino shook his head. “Nah. I was just browsing... Let’s go”

* * *

 

The next day when he was out with Emma, Lovino swore he saw the same person pass by while the two of them sat across from each other at an ice cream parlor.

Lovino frowned deeply and leaned in to whisper to Emma who was busy scraping the last bits of ice cream out of her cup.

“Hey have you seen that asshole around lately?” he asked, putting emphasis on the “asshole”

Emma’s eyes widened and she quickly set her drink down before whipping her head around to look.

Lovino nudged her knee with his foot. “Hey!” he hissed. “Don’t make it so obvious.”

Emma turned back to look at him and made a face. “Why? Is he like stalking you?”

Lovino sighed. “No... Maybe I’m just seeing things.”

“Well I hope you don’t owe him anything,” Emma replied. She narrowed her eyes. “He’ll fucking bother you forever. My brother would know.”

“Your brother is in debt to everyone Emma. “

“Yeah, but it doesn’t change the fact that that asshole is crazy and he’ll pick a fight with anyone.”  
“Yeah well-” Lovino froze as he watched the same man they were currently speaking of stand up from a booth and head into the far bathroom.

“What?” Emma questioned. This time she turned her head slowly to look behind her,  but he was already inside the bathroom. “What?”

“Noth- it’s…” Lovino paused for a moment before pushing himself up off his seat, the old table scratching against the linoleum floor. “I’ll be right back,” he promised before heading for the bathroom.

The moment he was inside, he felt a pair of hands grab him by the shoulders and push him back against the wall. Lovino lead out a grunt and angrily shoved his attacker. He was met by a pair of familiar eyes.

“Come on Lovino,” the other man said. “What’s with the hostility?”  
“Listen Gilbert,” Lovino seethed, pulling his jacket back up to his shoulder. “I’m not dealing with your bullshit today.”

Gilbert smirked that familiar smirk that seemed to always make Lovino’s stomach churn with irritation. “No one’s asking you to deal with anything. Just wanted to greet my friend.”

Lovino glared at him as he continued to smirk condescendingly, brushing his pale hair back and stepping closer to him.

“I thought you fucked off a few months ago,” Lovino mumbled. “Like for forever.”

“Would you want that?”  
“Yes,” Lovino responded immediately. “I hoped to never see you again. Everything is so much better without you.”

Gilbert’s smirk faltered. “That’s hurtful.”

“Good.”

“Wow,” Gilbert said. He smiled and cocked his head. “Good to know you haven’t changed a bit.”

Lovino just glared at him. And the longer he glared, the more the anger began to burn and build inside of him. There was nothing in this world that could keep Gilbert away from him. Everywhere they go, every move they make, anything that happens, they always end up at the same place. Standing across from each other. Lovino couldn’t take it, he stepped forward and shoved him.

“So what, are you stalking me?” the Italian spat. “Keeping tabs on me?”  
Gilbert looked stunned for a moment, but his face grew solemn and he shoved his hands in his pockets. “I thought we could help each other.”  
Lovino had never seen Gilbert look this vulnerable and immediately his thoughts jumped to the worst. “Is your brother okay? Does he have any news on Feli? Is Feli okay?”

“They um...” His eyes met Lovnio’s but he quickly glanced away. “Shit I don’t know how to say this.”

Lovino was frozen and he tried to let out an angry response but it sounded more like a whimper, “fucking say it you asshole.”

Gilbert was quiet for a moment before he began speaking. “Ludwig never came home from school last wednesday. We called up all of his friends but none of them knew anything. I was the only one who knew of his connections with Feli so I visited your grandfather’s house and the guy almost choked me when I asked about the kid.” Gilbert paused. “He said Feli was missing as well. That he hadn’t come home from school… Fuck... they didn’t even leave a letter.”  
Lovino was trying hard to take in all the information and sort his thoughts out but his heart was pounding too hard and his stomach was in knots. It was all too quick for Lovino. There seemed to be nothing he could do with this news. Nothing he could. “He’s looking for me,” Lovino whispered.

Gilbert looked back up. “How could you know that?”  
“Because,” Lovino began, his heart racing. “Because he knows how special New York is… because it’s important to us.”

Gilbert looked confused. “That doesn’t make sense. If he knew you’d be here why wouldn’t they have come here to look for you when you left.”

“Because Feli just turned sixteen,” Lovino whispered. “That’s when I left. That’s when Mama left.”

Lovino didn’t dare look back up at Gilbert. He just wanted to escape. Forget what he had just been told and run away again.

“What if they’re not okay..” he whispered.

Gilbert didn’t respond.

“What if they’re dying somewhere in a field.” Lovino was looking at him now, glaring.  
“Don’t fucking say that,” Gilbert muttered.

“But what if they are!” Lovino’s head was beginning to spin and the burn in his eyes was almost equivalent to the burn in his chest. “They won’t fucking last a day out there!”

“And you could?” Gilbert shouted, his glare matching Lovino’s.

“Yes!” Lovino screamed. “Yes I fucking could because I didn’t have anything to live for before and I have nothing to live for now! Those boys have a family that cares for them! They have a promising fucking future! They have everything to lose!”

Gilbert grabbed his arm before Lovino could storm away. “Come to my apartment tonight,” he whispered. “Same place.”

Lovino sighed. Before he left he heard Gilbert say one last thing.

“They’ll be safe. Unlike us they have police out looking for them.”

 

* * *

 

Gilbert’s apartment was small but practical. Since he was the only one living there there wasn’t much to look at. The living room was narrow, with minimal seating and while there was clutter here and there, it was left quite tidy considering who the place belonged to. Lovino had come to his apartment before he had move and it was considerably more organized than before. For instance, you could actually see the floor and there wasn’t an open bag of food in sight.

“Sorry for the mess,” Gilbert said almost humbly but Lovino knew better. “Didn’t have time to clean up.”

They weren’t alone. There were two men sitting on the couch and there were two women, one who Lovino was familiar with, sitting on the couch next to it.

Gilbert gestured towards them. “That’s Al, the one next to him is Francis, and over there is Bela and you know Eliza…. This, guys, is my friend Lovino.”  
Lovino ignored his last comment and instead scanned the living room. Al had short, slightly messy, blond hair and glasses. He was the only one not looking at him, his mind occupied with a bowl of cereal that he was chowing down. Francis was the opposite in demeanor. He sat with his legs crossed and his eyebrow raised as he scanned Lovino up and down. His wavy hair was a lighter shade of blonde than Al’s and it flowed neatly down to his shoulders. The girl to his right had an even lighter shade of blonde to her hair and it flowed down towards her waist. She had on a bored expression and she seemed to be mostly looking behind Lovino rather than at him.

“Sup Lovi!” Eliza greeted from beside the platinum blonde. “Long time no see.”  
She was right. The last time Lovino had seen the brunette was right before Gilbert had gone back to Chicago. He hadn’t seen her even once since then. It was as if she had gone with him. Surprisingly, Lovino was on good terms with her despite his rocky relationship with her friend Gilbert.

Lovino gave her a light smile. “It’s good to see you Eliza.”  
Eliza gestured to her right. “Come sit down.”

Lovnio made his way to the couch and sat down next to her. He felt out of place, like he had just interrupted something. It didn’t help that his mind was still focused on how he could find his younger brother. Being social was touch at the moment.

“Well,” began Francis. “We were just going to have a quick smoke. Would you li-”

“I don’t smoke,” Lovino interjected. “I mean… I never have.”

Lovnio didn’t plan to either and since he was aware of his own self control, he wouldn’t allow himself to.

“That’s okay,” Francis responded.

Al set down his bowl of cereal and pulled out an entirely different kind of bowl. He set it on his knee before pulling out of a small plastic bag and getting to work on whatever it was they were smoking.

“It’s only marijuana,” Eliza clarified as if she read his mind. “Nothing more. Right Alfred?”

Alfred nodded and Lovino watched as he lit the contents in the bowl before taking a long drag of it and passing it to Francis.

Lovino stood up quickly and all eyes were on him. “Sorry um,” His face grew warm. “I’m just gonna head to the bathroom.”

Before they could say anything, Lovino stormed off in search of the bathroom. When he found it, he stupidly forgot to knock and walked right in on Gilbert swallowing down some pills.

“I-” Lovino swallowed.

“It’s Ritalin,” Gilbert clarified. “It’s supposed to help me concentrate.”

Lovino nodded slowly. “Should I… should I go.”

“You can stay here if you want,” Gilbert responded quietly. “I’m not plannin on smoking. Are you?”

Lovino was reminded of his self control and shook his head quickly. There was an awkward silence as neither of them said a thing, but Lovino could feel Gilbert’s eyes on him.

After a while, Gilbert stepped closer to him and Lovino immediately backed away from the doorframe.

“Lovin-”

Lovino turned around and with his face hot, he rushed back into the living room to his spot.

“You okay, man?” Alfred asked, addressing him for the first time.

“Uh yeah…” Lovino paused. “Could you pass that over actually?”  
Alfred grinned and did as he was told.

Hesitantly, Lovino pressed the end of the bowl against his lips and began sucking in. The moment he did that, his eyes widened and he began to cough uncontrollably.

Alfred began to laugh. “Just let it out!”

Lovino continued to cough, his eyes watering. Through the moisture in his eyes, he could faintly see Gilbert returning to the living room and sitting down beside Alfred. Once the coughing began to subside, Lovino determinedly brought the bowl back up to his lips.

“This time,” Alfred began. “Breathe it in slowly.”

Lovino began to breathe in and he could hear Gilbert laughing as he did so. Annoyed, Lovino continued to breathe it in and now Alfred let out a loud laugh.

“Whoa man, it’s coming out of his nose! He’s really gonna feel it in a few minutes.”  
Lovino breathed out and the smoke began to ascend above them.

Alfred began to laugh louder. “Are you okay dude?”

“Yeah,” Lovino replied, laughing as well. “Are you okay?

“Yeah are you?”

Lovino laughed again at Alfred’s response.

“I think he’s starting to feel it,” Francis replied, chuckling lightly himself.

Lovino turned to look at Bela and leaned in. “Why’re you so quiet?” He waved the bowl in her face. “You want some? Have some.”

Bela almost smiled and took the bowl from him.

“What’s in this shit?” Lovino laughed. “It feels so good.”

“Oh man,” Alfred began. “We were just about to head out to an open mic. You comin?”

“Sure,” Lovino continued to laugh. He couldn’t stop himself. “Of course.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you like it so far, please leave a comment. I would appreciate it so much. Thank you!


End file.
